Centerpiece tray with swiveling candle holders



Feb. 13, 1968 J. BOCHORY ,v 3,368,693

CENTERPIECE TRAY WITH SWIVELING CANDLE HOLDERS Filed Nov. 8, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

[022 J BoCAoz-y BY M 7 ATTORNEY 1785- 1963 J. BOCHORY CBNTERPIECE TRAY WITH SWIVELING CANDLE HOLDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. [on zllfackazy BY V ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,368,693 CENTERPIECE TRAY WITH SWIVELING CANDLE HOLDERS Ion J. Bochory, 9 E. Ferry Lane, Westport, Conn. 06880 Filed Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,815 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-126) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plurality of article holder units each comprising a base having a central article holder and a plurality of branches each having an article holder, are releasably and adjustbly held on a tray by cooperative elements certain of which are disposed at predetermined positions in the surface of the tray and each of certain others of which is disposed in the bottom of said base coaxially therewith providing for releasable holding of the unit on the tray in any of said positions and for rotation of the units about an axis formed by said elements when they are connected together.

This invention relates in general to a combination of a tray and candle-holders which is particularly adapted for use in decorative settings such as centerpieces for tables.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a tray and one or more candle holders and novel and improved coacting elements on the tray and candle holders for holding the candle holders against accidental or unintentional sliding on the tray during handling or transportation of the tray, and at the same time permit easy changing or adjustment of the positions of the candle holders on the tray.

Another object is to provide such a combination which includes a plurality of candle holder units each comprising a plurality of candle holders integrally connected together on a common base with the units connected to the tray so that the positions of the candle holders of one unit can be easily and quickly changed with respect to the candle holders of other units, as by swiveling the units about the axes of their bases, and thereby providing for a variety of candle arrangements in, for example decorative centerpieces.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front and top perspective view of a combination of a tray and candle holders embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the combination shown in FIGURE 1 with the candle holders shown by solid lines and by broken lines in different positions from those shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 with portions of the tray broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom perspective view of one of the candle holder units; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view partially in elevation and partially in section of a modification of the invention, and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and showing a different design of candle holder unit.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4, inclusive, the reference character A designates a tray which may or may not have a perimetrical upstanding flange 1. The tray has a flat top surface 2 on which are shown two candle holder units B, each comprising a plurality of integrally con- 3,368,693 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 nected candle holders, and a single or separate candle holder C.

The units B are shown as comprising a central candle holder 3 and two branch candle holders 4 all of which are mounted on a common base piece 5 with the branch candle holders 4 preferably equidistantly spaced from and at opopsite sides from the central candle holder 3.

In accordance with the invention the units B and the tray have cooperating elements for positioning and holdlng the units against sliding on the tray and at the same time permitting the unit to be rotated about the axis of the central candle holder. As shown best in FIGURES 3 and 4, a dowel or cylindrical stud 6 is secured to and projects from the base 5 of the unit coaxially with the central candle holder 3, and the tray has one or more holes 7 to frictionally receive the dowel o-r stud 6 as shown in FIG- URE 3. It is desirable that a spacer disc 8 be interposed between the bottom surface of the base 5 and the top surface of the tray to reduce the frictional contact of the base 5 with the tray when the unit is rotated on the tray.

The single candle holder C may have a similar stud on its base 9 and the tray may have a hole to receive the stud for holding the single candle holder in the desired position.

With this construction it will be readily understood that the candle holder units B may be rotated into many different positions in respect to each other and to the single candle holder as shown in FIGURE 2 where the units are illustrated in one position by solid lines and in another position by broken lines. The units may be rotated three hundred and sixty degrees about the axes of the studs 6 on their bases so that a large number of variations in the relative positions of the candle holders can be obtained.

FIGURE 6 shows a generally similar construction in which the candle holder units B and the single candle holder C are of a different design from the units B and candle holder C. In this construction the unit has a central circular base 5' and the branch candle holders 4 curve outwardly and upwardly at diametrically opposite sides of the base. The number and relative positions of branch candle holders may be varied as desired. The single candle holder C also has a circular base 9', and all of the bases 5 and 9 have studs like the studs 6 coactive with holes in the tray.

Instead of the stud and hole or pin and socket connection of the candle holders to the tray, the candle holder base and the tray have coactive permanent magnets and magnetic material as shown in FIGURE 5 where the base 10 of the candle holder has a permanent magnet 11 therein to coact with a disc 12 of magnetic material set into the top surface of the tray. If desired, the Whole top surface of the tray may be made of magnetic material so that the candle holders with magnets in their bases could be set in any of many desired positions.

It is desirable, however, to have the holes or the magnetic discs in the tray located at predetermined positions, and this is especially desirable where the surface of the tray is formed of Wood or synthetic plastic material.

It will be understood that the candle holders will have suitable sockets or recesses 13 to removably or separably receive and hold candle or similar decorative articles 14, as illustrated, for example in FIGURE 6.

The combination is adapted to use in many different ways and for different purposes; for example, the tray and candle holders can be set at the center of a table and tree branches, leaves, flowers, or other decorative articles can be placed on the tray around the candle holders, and the candle holder units can be bodily moved and also swiveled into the desired positions relative to each other 3 and to the other atricles, and can be firmly held in such positions.

Modifications of the construction and the design of the combination of the tray and candle holders will occur to those skilled in the art as within the spirit or scope of the invention.

1. The combination of a tray having a flat top surface for supporting article holders, a plurality of article holder units each comprising a base having a central article holder coaxial with the base and a plurality of branches connected to said base and each having at least one article holder, said article holders being equidistantly spaced from said central article holder, and means for releasably and adjustably holding said article holders selectively in any of a plurality of predetermined positions on said tray, said means including a plurality of elements disposed at predetermined positions in the surface of said tray, and an element in the bottom of the base of each unit coaxial therewith and cooperative selectively with any of said elements on the tray, said cooperative elements providing for releasable holding of the unit against movement on the tray selectively in any of said predetermined positions and for rotation of the unit relative to the tray about the axis formed by said cooperative elements when said elements are connected together at one of said predetermined positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 801,677 10/1905 McKiliget 6725 1,054,296 2/1913 Jacobson 6725 1,879,477 9/1932 Powell 6725 2,217,514 10/1940 Henry 248260 X 2,898,755 8/1959 Josephson 6725 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,143,572 10/1957 France.

493,494 10/ 1938 Great Britain.

20 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

